Berea College is the 13th best school in the nation for African-American students, according to the DayStar rating in Black Enterprise Magazine. Improving on its 32nd ranking in the 2001 survey, the college made one of the most noticeable improvements of the 482 colleges that were surveyed.

"We made considerable effort to identify African-American students who will succeed at Berea," says Berea College President, Dr. Larry Shinn. "We've put our people and money where our priorities are."

The ranking was developed by DayStar Research CEO, Dr. Thomas A. LaVeist, who is also associate professor of health policy, management and sociology at Johns Hopkins University and the author of the DayStar Guide to Colleges for African Americans. DayStar calculated the College's rating based on responses from questionnaires filled out by more than one-thousand African-American higher education professionals, including college presidents, vice presidents, deans, department heads, professors, admissions counselors, financial aid officers and college recruiters. The criteria analyzed by these professionals include the college's academic and social environments for African-American students, the percentage of African-American undergraduate students, and the school's 2001 DayStar rating.

In addition to achieving the 13th ranking, the College also scored 2nd highest of the top fifty colleges in the 'Social Environment' category. In this academic year, 257 African-American students are enrolled at the College, equaling 17% of the total college enrollment. This is the largest black enrollment since before the Commonwealth of Kentucky enacted the Day Law in 1904. "To be ranked so favorably among some of the finest institutions in the United States is both an honor for Berea College and a testimony of our best efforts to provide a high quality educational experience for African Americans and other Berea students," says Joe Bagnoli, Associate Provost.

" I am very happy about the rating," says Andrew Baskin, Associate Professor of General and Black Studies. "It speaks about the hard work many people have put in to create the environment of Berea that earned us such a ranking." This year, 92% of the African-American freshmen returned for their sophomore year.

From its early years until the Commonwealth of Kentucky forced segregation upon educational institutions in 1904 by passing the Day Law, the Berea community had been thoroughly integrated. Berea contested the Day Law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and lost. After the Day Law was amended in 1950, the College immediately began readmitting black students. Today, Berea's percentage of African-American students is 17%, much higher that the typical 4-5% at other, historically white colleges.

One of the most successful recruiting tools has been inviting potential African-American students to campus during Carter G. Woodson Celebration Month each February. Woodson, a Berea College alumnus, is recognized as the 'father of African-American history". Events during this month include convocations, art exhibits, talent shows, musical performances, forums, and lectures.

The College offers many programs and organizations for black students, faculty and staff, including a Black Studies curriculum, the Black Cultural Center, and the Black Music Ensemble. For more information see:

Historic Black Berea
Black Studies Curriculum
Black Music Ensemble
Black Cultural Center